CHOLELITHIASIS AND DIETARY RISK-FACTORS - AN EPIDEMIOLOGIC INVESTIGATION IN VIDAUBAN, SOUTHEAST FRANCE

Dietary risk factors have been implicated in the development of cholel ithiasis. The aim of this study was to determine in a homogeneous Fren ch population whether a particular type of diet may he lithogenic. Sev enty-six subjects over 30 years of age (26 men, 50 women) with choleli thiasis detected by ultrasound were selected from a population sample of 830 subjects by drawing lots using the polling list. These were mat ched by 76 control subjects without cholelithiasis randomly selected f rom the same population. Univariate analysis was significant for a hig h calorie diet >2500 kcal/day (OR = 3.62, P = 0.0065), a diet rich in carbohydrates with a consumption greater than or equal to 55 g/day (OR = 2.98, P = 0.0067), and a diet rich in total lipids (OR = 4,97, P = 0.023) or saturated fatty acids (OR = 3.06, P = 0.0146). An alcohol co nsumption equivalent to 20-40 g/day was protective (P = 0.018). Multiv ariate analysis confirmed these results. Our study suggests that a cha nge in dietary habits by limiting excess calories, saturated fats and carbohydrates could reduce the incidence of cholelithiasis.